"You look so beautiful when you smile " he whispered, his breath hot against my ear.
A shiver ran down my spine as his fingers traced the curve of my jaw. His touch was gentle, too gentle, and yet it sent a wave of fear through me.
"Dad, stop," I whispered, trying to push him away, but he held me closer,his grip tightening.
"Shh baby, don't be like that. You know you want this."
I tried to struggle, but I couldn't move. My body felt heavy, trapped. His face blurred above me, eyes gleaming with something I couldn't name.
I screamed, but nothing came out. My voice was muffled, silenced.
My eyes snapped open, heartbeat pounding in my ears.Darkness suffocated me and my sheets clung to my sweat-soaked skin. I sat up, trying not to think too much.That never helped. "It was just another one of nightmares"
My gaze fell on the alarm clock on my nightstand. 6:00AM. My flight to Moscow was in a few hours. I rubbed my tired eyes feeling a mix of anxiety and excitement in my chest.
Today was supposed to be a beginning.
Not an escape-just a shift.
I tossed off the covers and got out of bed, my feet barely making a sound on the wooden floor. I padded over to the window and pulled back the curtain, letting the early morning sunlight stream in.The sky was a pale blue, with a hint of pink on the horizon. A new day, full of possibilities.
I got dressed in the outfit I'd laid out the night before. Everything simple. I headed to the kitchen to make coffee,the rich aroma filled the small space.I double-checked my flight itinerary and travel documents, making sure everything was in order. I took a deep breath feeling a sense of determination wash over me. A new country, a new life, I guess.
I glanced around my apartment, taking in the familiar sight one last time. The worn carpet, the mismatched furniture, the old TV, But I wasn't staying. That much I was sure of it.
I grabbed my suitcase and headed out the door.The taxi was already waiting by the curb.
**********************
The taxi ride to the airport was a blur of passing cityscapes.Navigating the check-in process was surprisingly smooth.People were everywhere—rushing, talking, but I felt oddly calm.Almost disconnected, like I was watching everything through a screen.
Soon, the announcement came over the loudspeaker "Flight 602 to Moscow is now boarding."
I found my seat by the window and as the plane took off,I watched the city below grow smaller and smaller, until it was nothing but a tiny speck in the distance.
Everything I'd known, gone in a blink.
I didn't cry.
I didn't even feel sad.
I closed my eyes,letting the weight of everything settle.
I wasn't running. Not really. I was just... letting go.Of everything that had shaped me. Burned me. Left marks on parts of me I'd rather forget.
The hardest part wasn't leaving- it was not knowing who I was without everything I'd survived.
***********************
3:05AM,Moscow Russia
Darkness was almost palpable, with only a few faint lights illuminating the surroundings.
The air was brisk and cool,slapping my skin with a refreshing crispness-a stark contrast to the warmth I was used to in Colombia.
A man dressed in a grey uniform greeted me with a nod "Rostov University?" he asked, already knowing the answer.
"Yes that's right"
He nodded and loaded my luggage into the car "Welcome to Russia, Miss...?"
"Aria"
Not the name I was given, but the one I chose.
We didn't talk after that. The city outside the window was grey and unfamiliar. Beautiful, in a bleak kind of way.
We pulled up to a dorm building. He handed me a key card "Room 302.Elevator's down the hall."
On the third floor, I found room 302. My fingers hovered over the door handle for a second before I finally pushed it open.
The living room was bigger than I'd expected, with a comfy couch, a couple of bean bags, and a TV on a bookshelf leaned against the wall.The walls were covered in posters-band names I didn't recognise, quotes scribbled in russian.It smelled clean,lived-in.
It felt like normal.
And I didn't know what to do with that.
A girl got up from the couch, brushing crumbs off her lap.Her brown hair was put in a messy bun, she looked friendly. She looked at me like she already knew who I was. Or thought she did.
"Hey,you must be the new girl", her smooth Russian accent "I'm Anastasia and this is Lena." She looked up from her laptop immediately, her dark hair falling across her face "Hey", she said softly,her eyes sparkling with interest before she turned her attention back to the screen.
I dropped my bag with a soft thud. My voice came out quieter than I meant, it felt strange, almost like I was unsure of it "I'm Aria."
Anastasia gave a small smile "We've got separate bedrooms,but we share the kitchen and the bathroom . We've also got a shared closet."
I nodded, "Thanks"
The weight of everything caught up to me at once. I hadn't slept for over eighteen hours. No one here knew what I came from, and I wasn't about to tell them anything.
This wasn't home. Not yet.
But it wasn't where I came from either.
Maybe I'd find something here- peace, freedom. Or maybe I wouldn't. Maybe I'll just get through the days and pretend that was enough.
For now,it was.
I didn't need a perfect life.
Just one that didn't hurt to wake up in.